What Citrus Fruits Can Guinea Pigs Eat? (Find Out Now)

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com and other affiliate links, at no extra cost to you. Wanna read something more boring than watching paint dry? Click HERE for a peek at my disclosure.

If you’re a guinea pig owner, you might be wondering what citrus fruits are safe for your pet to eat.

Many people assume that guinea pigs can’t eat citrus fruits, but this is not true! In fact, there are a few different citrus fruits that guinea pigs can eat safely.

Guinea pigs can eat the following citrus fruits without worry:

  1. Oranges
  2. Tangerines
  3. Grapefruit
  4. Clementines
  5. Mandarins
  6. Pomelo
  7. Tangelo
  8. Blood Orange
  9. Satsuma
  10. Kumquat
a picture of two guinea pigs wondering what citrus fruits they can eat

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the nutritional benefits of citrus fruits for guinea pigs and provide a list of some of the best options for your guinea pigs to enjoy and some of their nutritional benefits.

But, first let’s take a look at…

blank
An easy-to-read food chart for safe piggie foods – Buy, download, and print.

Nutritional Benefits Of Citrus Fruits For Guinea Pigs

a gray guinea pig reminding people to wash the citrus fruits before giving them to their pets
No need to be afraid of citrus fruits. Just feed them in moderation.

Citrus fruits are a great source of Vitamin C, which is an essential nutrient for guinea pigs. Vitamin C is important for keeping your guinea pig’s immune system healthy and helping them to absorb other nutrients from their food.

Citrus fruits also contain antioxidants, which can help protect your guinea pig against cell damage and help to keep them healthy.

blank

Finally, citrus fruits are a good source of dietary fiber, which can help keep your guinea pig’s digestive system healthy.

So, now that we know some of the nutritional benefits of citrus fruits for guinea pigs, let’s take a look at some common citrus fruits that your little friends can enjoy.

1. Oranges

a quote that says that sometimes guinea pigs can eat the peels of certain citrus fruits
It’s funny how certain things we as humans wouldn’t think of eating is incredibly tasty to piggies.

Guinea pigs can eat both the flesh and peel of oranges without any problems. Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C, antioxidants, and dietary fiber.

Oranges also contain beta-carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A in the guinea pig’s body. This vitamin is important for keeping your guinea pig’s eyes healthy and their coat looking shiny and healthy.

Oranges make a great snack for guinea pigs and can be added to their diet as a regular part of their meals.

2. Tangerines

Tangerines make a great snack for guinea pigs and are a good source of Vitamin C, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and beta-carotene.

Tangerines also contain lycopene, which is an antioxidant that can help protect your guinea pig’s cells from damage.

Like oranges, tangerines can be added to your guinea pig’s diet as an occasional treat.

3. Grapefruit

When feeding grapefruit to guinea pigs, make sure to remove the white pith and seeds, as these can be dangerous for your pet.

Grapefruit is a good source of Vitamin C, antioxidants, dietary fiber, and beta-carotene.

Like other citrus fruits, grapefruit contains lycopene which can help protect your guinea pig’s cells from damage.

Grapefruit also contains potassium, which is important for guinea pigs as it helps to regulate their blood pressure.

4. Clementines

Clementines are a small citrus fruit that’s easy for guinea pigs to eat. As a hybrid orange, they’ve been cultivated to be seedless. Now that’s a great thing, because guinea pigs typically can’t eat the seeds from any citrus fruits.

So, if you want a quick and easy snack (that doesn’t involve digging seeds out first), you might want to give clementines a try.

5. Mandarins

So, what are mandarins, anyway? Mandarins are a type of citrus fruit that’s closely related to tangerines. Certain forms are even called cuties. They’re usually smaller than tangerines, and their skin is thin and easy to remove.

Mandarins are typically sweeter than other citrus fruits, which means you’ll want to be especially careful of how much you give your little friends.

Too much sugar can lead to health problems for guinea pigs, so it’s best to only offer mandarins as a rare treat.

6. Pomelos

Guinea pigs can eat Pomelos safely. Pomelos are a type of citrus fruit that’s related to grapefruit. They’re the largest citrus fruit (which can seem a little daunting to guinea pigs) and are typically quite sweet.

Pomelos are a type of citrus fruit that originated in South and Southeast Asia. They are also called shaddock, pompelmoes, or pummelos. Pomelos are delicious!

Their skin is thick and tough, so you want to avoid giving it to your furries.

blank

7. Tangelo

Guinea pigs can enjoy eating Tangelos safely, too. They have an interesting shape, and their skin is loose and easy to remove (can you say ‘perfect guinea pig snack?’).

Their one end sort of looks like an orange, but the other end is more pointed and has a nubbly-like skin.

Tangelos are a type of citrus fruit that’s a hybrid of tangerines and oranges. They’re typically quite sweet and make a great snack for guinea pigs, because – like all citrus fruits, there’s a huge amount of Vitamin C in them.

They’re also a good source of dietary fiber and antioxidants, so they’re definitely worth considering as part of your guinea pig’s diet.

8. Blood Oranges

Don’t let the name put you off feeding this nutritious fruit to your fur babies. Guiena pigs can eat blood oranges (in small amounts) quite safely.

The name “blood” orange comes from the natural color of the fruit’s juice, which is a deep red.

Blood oranges are a type of citrus fruit that’s related to navel oranges. They’re typically smaller than navels and have a more tart flavor.

9. Satsumas

These small citrus fruits are a great snack for guinea pigs. Satsumas are normally considered the juiciest of all the citrus fruits.

Satsumas are a type of orange that’s native to Japan. It’s usually seedless, too. That’s awesome, because you don’t have to worry about choking hazards with guinea pigs.

10. Kumquat

Kumquats look like little balls of orange fuzz. They’re a type of citrus fruit that’s related to oranges, and guinea pigs can eat them safely (in moderation).

Citrus Fruits You Want To Avoid Giving To Your Guinea Pigs

Some citrus fruits are a little too acidic to risk feeding to your piggies. Or at least so acidic that you don’t want to make them your go-to treat .

Here are two citrus fruits you’ll want to avoid:

  • Limes: Technically, guinea pigs can eat them, but the high levels of citric acid can cause them stomach problems.
  • Lemons: These little fruits are even more acidic than lemons and can also cause digestive issues for guinea pigs.
blank

Final Thoughts About What Citrus Fruits Guinea Pigs Can Eat

So there you have it – a list of ten different citrus fruits that guinea pigs can safely eat. Just remember to always give them small amounts, and avoid giving them too much sugar.

Citrus fruits are a great source of Vitamin C, dietary fiber, and antioxidants – so make sure your guinea pig gets their fair (and appropriately proportioned) share.

As you can see, guinea pigs can enjoy a variety of citrus fruits as part of their healthy diet. Just make sure to monitor how much your guinea pig eats and adjust the amount depending on how sweet each fruit is.

With a little bit of caution, you can enjoy giving your guinea pig safe and healthy citrus fruits.

Clementines (Raw): FoodData central. (n.d.). FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168195/nutrients

DVM, S. L. (2015). The Guinea pig handbook. Barron’s Educational Series.

Gastrointestinal disease in Guinea pigs and rabbits. (n.d.). PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7128126/

Guinea lynx :: Diet. (n.d.). Guinea Lynx :: A Medical and Care Guide for Your Guinea Pig. https://www.guinealynx.info/diet.html

Guinea lynx :: Scurvy — Vitamin C deficiency. (n.d.). Guinea Lynx :: A Medical and Care Guide for Your Guinea Pig. https://www.guinealynx.info/scurvy.html

Guinea lynx :: Vitamin C chart. (n.d.). Guinea Lynx :: A Medical and Care Guide for Your Guinea Pig. https://www.guinealynx.info/diet_order-c.html

Kubala, J. (n.d.). 6 acidic foods — Should you avoid them? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/acidic-foods

Lemon (Raw): FoodData central. (n.d.). FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/167746/nutrients

Limes (Raw): FoodData central. (n.d.). FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168155/nutrients

Master list of typical pH and acid content of fruits and vegetables for home Canning and preserving. (n.d.). Pick your own Farms in the U.S, Canada, Britain and other countries – Find a farm near you!. https://www.pickyourown.org/ph_of_fruits_and_vegetables_list.htm

Nutrient requirements of the Guinea pig – Nutrient requirements of laboratory animals – NCBI bookshelf. (n.d.). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231932/

Oranges, raw, navel: FoodData central. (n.d.). FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/746771/nutrients

Quesenberry, K., Mans, C., & Orcutt, C. (2020). Ferrets, rabbits and rodents – E-book: Clinical medicine and surgery. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Tangerines (Mandarin Oranges), Raw: FoodData central. (n.d.). FoodData Central. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169105/nutrients

Similar Posts